andoru Posted 25 June, 2015 Share Posted 25 June, 2015 What was Cortese's original timeline for Saints to make it to the Champions League? I know it's changed now, but I'm still curious. I ask because the likes of Clyne, Schneiderlin and Lallana signed for or stayed at Saints because they bought into the long-term ambition to get Saints there. But surely none of them stayed (or will stay) long enough for the club to achieve that? It was obviously impossible while we were still in League One and The Championship, and I can't believe any of them expected Saints to get there in our first season (or even two) back in the PL. It was really only last season when we came close to competing at that level for any sustained length of time. I know there was a five year plan to get back in the PL, which we smashed by two seasons, but what about the CL? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Noodles34 Posted 25 June, 2015 Share Posted 25 June, 2015 What was Cortese's original timeline for Saints to make it to the Champions League? I know it's changed now, but I'm still curious. I ask because the likes of Clyne, Schneiderlin and Lallana signed for or stayed at Saints because they bought into the long-term ambition to get Saints there. But surely none of them stayed (or will stay) long enough for the club to achieve that? It was obviously impossible while we were still in League One and The Championship, and I can't believe any of them expected Saints to get there in our first season (or even two) back in the PL. It was really only last season when we came close to competing at that level for any sustained length of time. I know there was a five year plan to get back in the PL, which we smashed by two seasons, but what about the CL? The five year plan was completed in three years. not sure Cortese had a timescale for CL, but I think the players definitely bought into his vision. Ironically we have been closer since he left, but clearly he set the foundations. At the end of the day, with the present board we are no closer to CL than we ever were, despite the league positions recently. Like it or not, it's not going to happen when you don't buy for it, and we certainly don't. We have an owner that could afford to but doesn't and some dodgy FFP rules, so if RK has another decent season then don't be surprised to see him him progress to CL himself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fan The Flames Posted 25 June, 2015 Share Posted 25 June, 2015 Players don't buy into visions, they come because the deal is right and if you happen to be a team that on the up even better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CB Fry Posted 25 June, 2015 Share Posted 25 June, 2015 What was Cortese's original timeline for Saints to make it to the Champions League? I know it's changed now, but I'm still curious. I ask because the likes of Clyne, Schneiderlin and Lallana signed for or stayed at Saints because they bought into the long-term ambition to get Saints there. But surely none of them stayed (or will stay) long enough for the club to achieve that? You can just as easily say none of those players signed for us because of the CL vision and none of them stayed for it either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ewell Posted 25 June, 2015 Share Posted 25 June, 2015 The five year plan was completed in three years. not sure Cortese had a timescale for CL, but I think the players definitely bought into his vision. Ironically we have been closer since he left, but clearly he set the foundations. At the end of the day, with the present board we are no closer to CL than we ever were, despite the league positions recently. Like it or not, it's not going to happen when you don't buy for it, and we certainly don't. We have an owner that could afford to but doesn't and some dodgy FFP rules, so if RK has another decent season then don't be surprised to see him him progress to CL himself. Spot on, I think that sums it up nicely! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scotty Posted 25 June, 2015 Share Posted 25 June, 2015 I found that Les Reed interview interesting, where he very much played down our chances of CL and said we would have to position ourselves to take advantage of one of the top 4 slipping up badly. I remember thinking at the time that it was deliberate downplaying, that's how it came across to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CB Fry Posted 25 June, 2015 Share Posted 25 June, 2015 The five year plan was completed in three years. not sure Cortese had a timescale for CL, but I think the players definitely bought into his vision. Ironically we have been closer since he left, but clearly he set the foundations. At the end of the day, with the present board we are no closer to CL than we ever were, despite the league positions recently. Like it or not, it's not going to happen when you don't buy for it, and we certainly don't. We have an owner that could afford to but doesn't and some dodgy FFP rules, so if RK has another decent season then don't be surprised to see him him progress to CL himself. For all his faults Cortese never actually said we would ever "buy for it" anyway which is where his famous "don't ask if...ask how" phrase came from. The only people who deluded themselves that we were suddenly going to start spending on CL-level fees and wages were saps on this forum. Some seem to be still jolly upset about it to this day. Waaaaaaaaah. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turkish Posted 25 June, 2015 Share Posted 25 June, 2015 The five year plan was completed in three years. not sure Cortese had a timescale for CL, but I think the players definitely bought into his vision. Ironically we have been closer since he left, but clearly he set the foundations. At the end of the day, with the present board we are no closer to CL than we ever were, despite the league positions recently. Like it or not, it's not going to happen when you don't buy for it, and we certainly don't. We have an owner that could afford to but doesn't and some dodgy FFP rules, so if RK has another decent season then don't be surprised to see him him progress to CL himself. Yes you're probably right the owner could afford to, however she's currently bailing the club out after the mess 'Corteses vision' left us in. Paying out of her pocket for a training ground worth £25m which cost £40m as well as clearing high interest offshore loans which Cortese and his vision took out, not to mention trying to shift high earning expensive players off the wage bill who have contributed FA and only came for the money anyway, but hey at least a couple of marquee signings satisfied his ego, not to mention how he cosied up to a couple of reporters who managed to make saints fans the first club in the country singing the name of the CEO and believing that if it wasn't for him we were nothing. So you see the foundations you speak of laid down Cortese were built were on sand, a basis of spend as much as you can, make as little as you can, tell everyone what they want to hear and make them believe its all about you. Yes the first part or the plan was very well executed, but at the top level he got found out and he didn't believe in his vision because he didn't have the conviction in it to see it through. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guernsey guy Posted 25 June, 2015 Share Posted 25 June, 2015 Don't the winners of the Europa get a CL group stage spot? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
St Chalet Posted 25 June, 2015 Share Posted 25 June, 2015 I would agree with you word for word up until the last sentence. I think the owner found him out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Noodles34 Posted 25 June, 2015 Share Posted 25 June, 2015 Don't the winners of the Europa get a CL group stage spot? Aside from the usual suspects, you are right, that would be the only chance but now the lesser Euro teams take that more seriously, so seeing the likes of Fulham (ala Saints) in the final again would be remote, we're not up with the lesser Euro teams. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Noodles34 Posted 25 June, 2015 Share Posted 25 June, 2015 Yes you're probably right the owner could afford to, however she's currently bailing the club out after the mess 'Corteses vision' left us in. Paying out of her pocket for a training ground worth £25m which cost £40m as well as clearing high interest offshore loans which Cortese and his vision took out, not to mention trying to shift high earning expensive players off the wage bill who have contributed FA and only came for the money anyway, but hey at least a couple of marquee signings satisfied his ego, not to mention how he cosied up to a couple of reporters who managed to make saints fans the first club in the country singing the name of the CEO and believing that if it wasn't for him we were nothing. So you see the foundations you speak of laid down Cortese were built were on sand, a basis of spend as much as you can, make as little as you can, tell everyone what they want to hear and make them believe its all about you. Yes the first part or the plan was very well executed, but at the top level he got found out and he didn't believe in his vision because he didn't have the conviction in it to see it through. nice try Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now